Currently, there’s a public surge of curiosity on any Artificial Intelligence (AI) subjects, particularly these associated to Large Language Models, like ChatGPT [1]. This will not be a random improvement: AI is right here to remain and can have big social and financial implications. It is well-known that AI generally is a blessing however may flip right into a curse. In view of its potential risks, many AI scientists expressed their concern over AI developments in a manner, which, in my opinion, borders technophobia. However, there are traces of protection. The first one is world AI regulation. However, the true protection and manner ahead is the formation of a brand new breed of well-educated and knowledgeable residents. This article exactly addresses the connection between AI and a obligatory (in my view) revamping of the worldwide academic system in any respect ranges.
AI is humanity’s response to the more and more complexity of our globally interconnected society and our man-made and pure surroundings. The progress processes of bodily and social complexity are deep and seemingly unstoppable. Our present Information Society (the place knowledge enhance exponentially however information will increase linearly over time) is quickly reworking right into a Knowledge Society (knowledge-dominated one, the place information is anticipated to extend exponentially). AI and the morphosis (formation) of educated residents are our solely hope for such a easy transition. I intentionally use the Greek time period “citizen morphosis” to emphasise the necessity to educate residents geared up with vital pondering, exact multimodal communication abilities, creativeness, and emotional intelligence who will be capable of perceive, adapt, and finally harness the great technological and financial prospects and employment prospects that lie forward of us. It isn’t any coincidence that such a stage of training is wanted immediately in lots of job positions internationally [2].
This want permeates all training ranges of all social strata. A society divided into 1/3-2/3, the place 1/3 of the inhabitants understands and advantages from scientific progress, whereas the remaining 2/3 lags, being impoverished and technophobic, is just not sustainable, because it can not assure the advance and take up of information at world stage. All folks ought to reap the advantages of information, together with girls, minorities and other people of the Global South. Else, we might face a catastrophic social implosion, as occurred, for different causes, within the early Middle Ages.
Fortunately, the essential ideas obligatory for understanding AI and Information Sciences (e.g., knowledge similarity, clustering, classification) are easy and might be taught in any respect academic ranges. If correctly taught, they’ll simply be grasped even by uneducated folks. This will tremendously fight ignorance and AI technophobia. Such an academic advance merely requires political will and academic readjustment to supply appropriate educating of those ideas, primarily by means of rearranging the Mathematics and Informatics curriculum in any respect training ranges. Of course, we already observe a (partial) mathematization of all Sciences (together with the Liberal ones), which appears inevitable. It will not be sure that it’s possible, given the standard separation of Sciences/Engineering and Humanities in all training ranges. However, it may be doable, as, apart from Mathematics, Classical Studies are a perfect software for growing vital pondering and precision of expression. Naturally, in such an surroundings, naïve information memorization, or the academic providing of abilities on the expense of a broader and deeper information acquisition haven’t any place.
In University training, the adjustments will likely be drastic and can come very quickly (most of them). I current some proposals that I’ve detailed in my guide ‘AI Science and Society’ [2], which was revealed in October 2022, and I dare to say or hope that they have been prophetic.
1. Creation of Schools of ‘Information Science and Engineering’ with Departments of:
- Informatics
- Mathematics
- Computer Engineering
- Artificial Intelligence Science and Engineering
- Internet/Web Science.
Such efforts are already being made internationally, as might be seen in Figure 1. Although pushed by demand, the elemental trigger for such a improvement is the popularity of ‘info’ (and information) as an unbiased scientific topic, on the identical stage as matter (Physics, Chemistry), surroundings (Engineering Sciences), and life (Health Sciences, Biology). It appears that Computer Science (known as Informatics elsewhere) is already changing into the mom science of different disciplines, e.g., of Artificial Intelligence Science and Engineering. The identical occurred within the nineteenth century: at the moment, Physics and Chemistry gave start to all Engineering Sciences.
Figure 1: Number of undergraduate AI packages worldwide.
2. Creation of Departments for ‘Mind and Social Science and Engineering’ in Schools of Arts and Humanities (maybe a extra appropriate time period can be utilized). I consider that is my most groundbreaking proposal. Currently, the Humanities face the best stress from AI advances, which might not be instantly obvious. Indeed, the mathematization of classical topics (e.g., Linguistics, Sociology) has superior considerably. The creation of ‘Digital Humanities’ Departments can be one other good selection. Otherwise, the one different I see is the creation of departments for ‘Philological/Linguistic Engineering’ or ‘Social Engineering’ in Natural Sciences or Engineering Schools. Being a fan of classical research (although engineer by coaching), I’d not prefer to witness such a demise of Humanities Schools.
3. Creation of departments for ‘Bio-Science and Engineering’ in Schools of Health Sciences. Essentially, this could be a radical evolution of Biomedical Engineering Departments with the addition of recent topics, corresponding to Genetic Engineering and Systems Biology.
4. Mandatory inclusion of Mathematics and Computer Science programs within the curricula of all disciplines with out exception. Simply, one or two (poor) programs in Statistics or Programming don’t meet the present wants.
Some of the above proposals (not all) have already been urged or applied on the worldwide stage. Given the inertia of the worldwide academic system, I’m not naïve sufficient to consider that such concepts might be applied with out reactions or in a single day. However, these proposals (and even higher ones) might be mentioned at a political stage and inside the Universities themselves (at a scientific stage), so that every nation can enter the upcoming Knowledge Society period with the absolute best stipulations.
Bibliography
[1] Ioannis Pitas, “Artificial Intelligence Science and Society Part A: Introduction to AI Science and Information Technology“, https://www.amazon.com/dp/9609156460?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
[2] Ioannis Pitas, “Artificial Intelligence Science and Society Part C: AI Science and Society“, Amazon/Createspace, https://www.amazon.com/dp/9609156487?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
Further studying
[PIT2023a] Ioannis Pitas, CVML quick course, “AI Science and Engineering and its Impact on the Society”, https://icarus.csd.auth.gr/introduction-to-ai-science-and-engineering-and-its-impact-on-the-society-and-the-environment/
[PIT2022] Ioannis Pitas, “AI Science and Engineering: A brand new scientific self-discipline?”, https://icarus.csd.auth.gr/chatgtp-in-education/
[PIT2023b] Ioannis Pitas, “ChatGPT in training”, http://icarus.csd.auth.gr/ai-science-and-engineering-a-new-scientific-discipline/
[PIT2023c] I. Pitas, “Artificial intelligence will not be the brand new Tower of Babel. We should watch out for technophobia as an alternative”, Euronews, 8/5/2023, https://www.euronews.com/2023/05/08/artificial-intelligence-is-not-the-new-tower-of-babel-we-should-beware-of-technophobia-ins
